Not Just Your Memory
by NightAria
Summary: The world has lost its innocence since the Labyrinth was defeated. Lia isn't a girl trying to save her baby brother, she's a mother fighting for her son. Can Jareth ignore her resemblence to a girl he once knew and pit her against the deadly maze?
1. One Long Night

The hallway was deserted, but that wasn't news to Lia. It was the same every night when she came home. The inhabitants of her apartment building were all either tucked in bed or out on the town, depending on what they liked to do with their nights.

As the young woman trudged along the corridor that lead to her small apartment she could hear a wail that grew steadily louder with each step. "Toby.." Lia sighed as she urged her weary feet onwards. "Hang on Toby, Mommy's coming" she muttered, digging through her bag for the key. The wails turned to full blown screams and Lia could picture her baby's small face screwed up and bright red as he vented his frustrations with the world. Her fingers brushed cold metal and the young woman dragged the cluttered keychain out and jammed it into the lock.

Then suddenly there was silence, a silence so loud after the screams that it pressed against her era. Something gripped around Lia's heart and she fumbles with the key, throwing her shoulder against the battered door until it clicked and swung open. "Molly?" she called cautiously, "what's happened, is he alright?"

The girl she paid to watch Toby while she was at work was standing in the doorway separating the two main rooms of the apartment with a look of utter horror on her face.

"I…He was…Lia, Toby's…"

Pushing past the stuttering girl, Lia strode to the crib and ribbed back the covers. All that was left of her baby boy was a cooling dint in the sheets. "Molly" she forced out through gritted teeth, "Where's Toby?"

The blonde girl was several shades paler than her makeup, and the tight feeling around Lia's innards suddenly got a lot worse.

"We were…I was reading him that old book, y'know the red one? I found it under his bed, Labyrinth…and then he, Toby wouldn't stop screaming and I…I was so tired Lia and I-I wished him away."

The news sunk in slowly. Lia vaguely remembered the book Molly meant, a slim volume that had been one of her childhood treasures. There was a line in the red book she remembered, the one that had been the start of the long adventure, something about goblins and wishes. The cynical part of her smirked, telling her that the tale Molly had spun was just utter nonsense the girl had come up with to cover her hide, but Lia had been a dreamer once and that part of her swelled up now and convinced the rest of her thoughts that this situation could be reversed, that goblins did exist and being taken to a castle far away was the worst fate to have overcome her Toby.

"Go home Molly" she muttered, her mind already on what to do next. "You'll get your pay next time, go home." The girl stood frozen to her spot by the door, the horrified look still stuck on her face. "GO!" Lia screamed, wildly gesturing that the babysitter should get out _now. _Eyes wide and fearful of this new side of the up until then docile Lia, Molly took a few stumbling steps backwards and ran. Lia heard the door slam distantly, as if the noise was coming from across a vast distance.

The book was where it had been dropped; face down on the floor next to Toby's crib. Lia picked it up, clumsily thumbing through it. _There. _That was the part. Skimming back a few paged, Lia found the part where the goblin King appeared. She read the lines aloud but there was no response, no howling wind or banging windows. _Maybe direct quotations don't work…_

"Goblin King" Lia called with as much authority in her voice as she could muster. "I want to make a deal. I want my son back." The back of her neck pricked and she held her breath but still there was silence. It was more than she could stand, the goblin King had a name, she could almost remember it. It was a strange name, one that spoke of distant places and forbidden things…she flicked through the book again. Jareth.

"Jareth?" Silence.

Something in her snapped painfully and Lia let the book slip from her hands and crash to the floor. "Jareth you bastard!" she screamed, "Give me back my baby!"

A chill wind blew over her skin and the pressure in the room dropped suddenly, making her ears pop painfully. There was a rumble like a far away motorbike and then chaos, noise and wind pressing against her as the small set of windows blew outwards with a crash and the light bulb above her shattered, sending the glass tinkling down on her like cutting snow. The reek of hot wet asphalt forced its way up her nose. Lia threw up a hand to protect herself against the storm, flinching slightly but holding her ground, one hand clinging to the smooth wooden frame of Toby's abandoned bed.

A shadow grew on the floor in front of her, she could see it from under the shelter of her protecting arm, stretching up and out into an angular form, Lia dared to drop her hand and for a heartbeat her fury vanished. In front of her stood a man, a creature. Pale, angular and emitting a sense of otherworldliness, of not really existing. There was no doubt who this apparition was. For a moment her inner child stamped her foot and told the grown up Lia that she _knew_ he had been real, that all those daydreams hadn't just been fairy stories to be quashed by her father.

Then the moment passed and all Lia could think of was Toby, his warm smell, and the way he clung to her when she crept into his room to whisper goodnight. She took a deep breath and stared straight into his eyes, not blinking as she noticed they were mismatched, a minor detail missed by the book. It almost felt right that his eyes would be as different from those of a mere mortal as the rest of him. Those eyes stared coolly back into hers. She had almost glimpsed a flash of rage deep in them, but it must have faded because they were emotionless as he addressed her.

"Tsk tsk. Such language. I expected better of you." The cold rebuke almost made the young woman duck her head in shame. His voice was oil-smooth and cultured, and he spoke as if it was his world and she was merely allowed to inhabit it. It took more courage than she would like to admit to open her mouth against him.

"You have Tobias. I want him back."

Jareth stepped forwards, forcing Lia to move back to maintain the space between them. "He was wished away. The boy is mine now."

"Molly didn't mean for it." She pleaded, "This was all just a mistake. Please give me my son back."

"If you want the baby back then Molly must run the Labyrinth. It was she who wished the boy away, not you. It is her task."

"But _I _called you!" Lia cried desperately. "If I have to run the Labyrinth I'll do it, just give me my son back!" Her voice broke slightly, showing the panic buried just inches under her controlled façade.

Jareth raised a gloved hand and Lia tensed, expecting an attack, either supernatural or physical. The King raised an eyebrow at her reaction and his eyes flicked pointedly to his hand. Her gaze followed his. On the back of his knuckles a perfect bubble was growing into existence. It hardened, forming a crystal ball. She could see her wild eyes reflected in its surface and yet at the same time she could see a hundred other things swimming in its depths. It drew her like sweet water does a butterfly and she edged closer. "What is it?" she breathed.

"A crystal. Nothing more." He carelessly began to toss the ball back and forth over the back of his hand "But you want it, don't you Lia." She gave a barely perceptible nod, her eyes following the ball in its path. "Let me keep the boy and you can have it. You and the child were not meant for each other. You're too young, and worked to the bone to provide for him. With me he will have everything he will ever need. Life for you will return to what it was meant to be…" In the ball she could see herself, older and yet looking as if the years had dropped from her shoulders. Carefree..laughing, with her eyes glowing. "When was the last time you laughed like that?" he murmured, moving towards her. The ball continued in its hypnotic movements as he touched a gentle hand to her cheek. "Look at you Lia. Children are not meant to bear children."

His control over her snapped at the touch and she recoiled back. "Child?" She spat. "My childhood was gone long before Toby arrived and nothing you will ever do can bring it back. Toby is my life now. She had flashed out and knocked the ball from Jareth, sending it smashing to the floor. She stepped towards him, ignoring the shards crunching under her boots. Her voice lowered dangerously. "Give me the boy."

"It's a long way" he warned her, languidly gesturing over her shoulder. She spun around to discover that the bedroom had vanished, replaced by a windblown hilltop. The 'it' the goblin King was referring to was a maze stretching out before them. Her heart sank. Far on the horizon she would make out the castle. It was a very long way.

"You can still go back" he whispered in her ear, whisps of blonde hair brushing her cheek. "Take back your dreams, start again. Leave me the boy."

Her eyes flashed but she didn't reply. Behind her she heard Jareth step back and when he spoke the soothing tone had drained from his voice. "You have thirteen hours young one, and then the decision will no longer be yours to make."

Lia ignored him and started to pick her way down the steep slope. Sleep was already tugging at her eyelids. She hadn't a clue what the time was in this new world of his but she had arrived home a little after three and more than anything she needed sleep. The young woman pushed that aside and urged her weary muscles onwards to the intimidating walls. She jogged along their length, dragging a hand along the stones until she felt a large crack under her fingertips. Carefully she followed the crack along until she could make out the outline of a door. Locating the middle, she pushed gently. It didn't budge. Lia put her shoulder to it and pushed again, but still no movement. Frustrated, she began to thud sideways against the hidden door over and over again, battering it with her body.

"Tha' won' do no good."

Lia stopped her assault on the door. "What?"

"I said, tha' won; do no good. It ain' gonna budge."

Behind her was a squat…something. Its face was wrinkled up like an old apple and overshadowed by an extraordinarily large nose.

"Who are you?" She questioned suspiciously. "Can you get me in?"

"Names Hoggle" the thing grunted, "An' no, I won' let you in. His lordship wouldn' like that, not since last time." He almost whispered the last two words, glancing quickly around as if afraid that the very walls were listening. Hoggle jammed oversized hands into his pockets and stared and her defiantly. "Ain' no good trying to convince me neither. I been to let nobody in."

Lia knelt down, bringing her face level with his. She didn't know who this little man was, but if he was keeper of the gate then he was all-important. "Hoggle" she began soothingly, "please help me. I have to get Toby back. And besides, I'm not nobody, I'm Lia and it's a pleasure to meet you."

Hoggle's sulky face brightened. "'Tis?" He studied her face and Lia resisted the urge to glance away under his inspection. "You look like her" he muttered, so softly Lia couldn't be sure whether it was meant for her or himself. Without explaining further the little goblin ran a hand over the gates and they swung open smoothly. "I didn' do nuthin'" he told her sternly, and Lia nodded solemnly before cautiously stepping through the gates. The swung shut behind her abruptly, almost clipping her heels in their haste to close.

"Uh..thanks!" she called at the walls, hoping her voice would carry through. The only response she got was a dry rustling from a branch of dead leaves. Shrugging, she looked at her new surrounding. A path stretched away on both sides of her, seemingly straight as far as she could see. She remembered this part in her book, and took heart. _All is not as it seems…_Turning left firmly, the young woman started along the narrow way, "Left is right and right is wrong" she chanted softly to herself as she ran a hand along the inner wall. This might not be so hard.


	2. How Does One Begin

Aaaaannnd, chapter two is up! Please R&R, this is my first FF and I want to know what y'all think! This may turn into a J/OC, not really sure yet.

Tobias thrust out a chubby baby hand, straining to reach his mother floating in a clear bubble held out by the goblin King. Jareth chuckles and held the ball out of the his reach. So she was into his Labyrinth. He had to admire how quickly she had won over Hiddle with her smooth words. The King had thought the tried-and-true threat of a monarchy over the Bog would have held her back for longer, but that seemed to be losing it's power. He would have to find another punishment for the unruly Goblin.

His smooth brow furrowed slightly as he watched Lia make her way along the outer wall of his maze, carefully watching for hidden paths. She was quick this one. He would have to make sure the harder obstacles found their way into her path…

Jareth watched the way the young woman's straight hair swung as she walked, and his grip tightened on the babe in his arms as he was reminded of shameful happening he wanted to forget. The boy squealed and the goblin King absently passed him off to one of the creatures cluttering up his throne room. He hadn't even known the boy had been wished away until he had been called so harshly to the girl. Habit more than anything else has responded to her demands, Jareth himself was dumbstruck beyond all thought. It was _her_, first glance had told him, and for a second rage and something far more foreign had raged behind his cool mask at the thought that it _was_ her, the only person to beat his Labyrinth, his impossible task. The King had seethed as he remembered her reaction to his own foolish behavior. She had cast a spell over him more powerful than any of his magic and he had lost all control of his senses. And then that _girl_ had used him, thrown it all back in his face, had brought his kingdom crashing down around their ears. He had exhausted himself rebuilding the Underground, and then there he had been, standing once more in front of her, his Sarah.

A hand absently reached up to brush against a lump under his shirt. It hadn't been Sarah, he had realized that as soon as the first wave of emotion had passed. There was a harshness to her chin, and the eyes, they were blue and filled with a world-weary pain that his Sarah had never known. And then knowledge about this not-Sarah had suddenly filled his head, the way it always did when he visited someone. Suddenly he knew her name, her secret dreams, knew what she liked best for breakfast, what to tempt her with, what doubts to play on so that she crumbled. This woman, this Lia, was doomed to fail before she had even started. She was older than Sarah had been, several years sp, but her eyes were the eyes of a crushed old soul and the part of him that struggled to separate the two women ached for her.

And then this woman too had thrown back all he offered and pitted herself against his Labyrinth. Hot rage flooded through him as he watched her confidant path. She had found a gateway and was heading towards the centre of the maze. _She won't make it_.

Balancing the crystal on a finger tip, Jareth, King of the Goblins, concentrated for a moment and then blew gently on the feather-light ball, sending it drifting out the window and into the early-morning sky.

"She will not make it" he repeated aloud to the child as a confidant air settled about him. He was in control of his senses once more. But still, the chain around his neck dragged down, the weight on it banging gently against his chest as he breathed. Jareth ignored it. More pressing matters were to be taken care of. Absently, one gloved hand reached up and brushed against the trinket as he pondered his next move.


End file.
